REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT Not Applicable
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to colloidal silver, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a device and method for producing a more stable solution of suspended silver, and in greater batch quantities and at higher rates of production per batch than are presently available.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that silver has germicidal properties. In fact, silver was employed as a germicide and antibiotic before modern antibiotics were developed. In previous centuries, users would shave silver particles into their drinking water, or submerge whole silver pieces in the drinking water, for the purpose of ingesting the silver by drinking the water.
Of current interest are apparatus and methods for providing a more effective and stable solution of silver. It is desired to provide colloidal silver to be taken orally for medicinal purposes, as well as to be applied topically and otherwise, for the purpose of enhancing the health of the individual.
There may be many reasons why administering silver suspended in solution would enhance an individual""s health. It is possible that such a solution operates to inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted organisms, as well as eradicating such existing bacteria, viruses, and other organisms. It is also possible that a solution of silver can have an anti-inflammatory effect, sufficient to reduce symptoms of asthma. Silver in solution might also act in a similar fashion to a homeopathic remedy. These are just a few of the possible reasons why silver in solution, such as colloidal silver, is effective at enhancing health.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to produce silver-based solutions, including colloidal silver, some of which have been more successful than others. Many of the presently available silver-based products, however, are unstable and lose the silver to precipitation. A true colloid operates to maintain the colloidal particles in suspension over a period of several years, and perhaps indefinitely. Many of the silver products fail to maintain the silver particles in suspension, either because the silver solution is not a true colloid or because it is otherwise unstable. When the suspension of the silver particles fails, the particles fall to the bottom of the solution, thereby reducing the solution""s concentration of silver and rendering it less effective.
Several U.S. patents describe various ways of making a silver-based solution, including U.S. Pat. No. 2,653,893 (granted Sep. 29, 1953 to Romans), U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,528 (granted Aug. 30, 1994 to Adachi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,932 (granted Aug. 23, 1977 to Fresenius et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,902 (granted Jan. 7, 1992 to Antelman), U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,534 (granted Nov. 30, 1993 to Atsumi et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,519 (granted May 14, 1996 to Oka et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,412 (granted Apr. 11, 1972 to Kumai et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,789 (granted Oct. 26, 1971 to Schaller), U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,972 (granted Jul. 28, 1998 to Tyler). Other literature includes xe2x80x9cInstructions For Making Premium xe2x80x98ACxe2x80x99 Colloidal Silver,xe2x80x9d published by CS PRO Systems, Route 7, Box 510GG, San Antonio, Tex. 78264 (date of first publication unknown). These references fail to teach or suggest a process by which stable, colloidal silver may be produced in larger batch quantities and at increased rates of production. Even so, the patents and publications listed above in this paragraph, because of their background relevance, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The prior art is thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present invention. The present invention minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for producing a silver-based solution.
It is another object of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a method and apparatus for producing colloidal silver.
It is an additional object of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a method and apparatus that is capable of increasing the quantity of silver-based solution produced per batch.
It is a further object of the present invention, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide such a method and apparatus that is capable of producing a silver-based solution at a significantly increased rate.
The above objects and others not specifically recited are realized in a specific illustrative embodiment of an apparatus and method for producing colloidal silver. A large-volume container, such as a fifteen gallon container, includes a hinged lid on which a rotational impeller is mounted along with several sets of electrodes that are electrically connected to a power transformer. The container is partially filled with water, and when the lid is closed, the sets of electrodes are disposed in communication with the water in a predetermined arrangement, and the impeller resides submerged in the water. Certain of the electrodes constitute silver wire. The power transformers convey current to the electrodes, preferably alternating current, at voltages sufficient to cause silver particles to separate from the silver wire and enter the solution in a stable, suspended state. The impeller is rotated, preferably continuously, to prevent the suspended silver from remaining in upper levels of the water, thereby dispersing the silver particles more uniformly throughout the volume of water.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention without undue experimentation. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.